YA books

Review: What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

What the Woods TookWhat the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What the Woods Took follows a group of troubled teens during their time in a wilderness therapy program.

This set-up has been popping-up quite a bit in various iterations over the past few years, but for me, this is the best I’ve seen it executed. I was fully-engrossed in this story.

Devin is our MC. We meet her when she is awakened one night by two strange men in her room; essentially kidnapping her into a program known as Revive.

She finds herself shoved into a van and driven deep into the woods of Idaho. She meets a group of equally confused teens and it’s at that point, she discovers the true depth of the unsettling situation she finds herself in.

There are two counselors/guides for the program, and the other teens include Ollie, Aidan, Hannah and Sheridan. They’re told they will be hiking for 50-days.

Each teen is coming from vastly different circumstances, of which we learn over the course of the story. They’re each battling their own inner demons, but what they’ll face in the woods will be unlike anything they’ve ever battled before.

I went into this one not knowing a lot about it. I’ve read two previous novels from Gould, and enjoyed them, but this one is definitely my favorite of her work.

I was captivated from the start. It kicks off immediately and drops us into the heart of the action. I really appreciated the character work that Gould displayed here.

It wasn’t just Devin that you got to know well, all of the characters were fully fleshed out. IMO, for Younger Readers, or Teens, picking this up, everyone should be able to find an aspect to this story that will resonate with them.

There was a real cathartic feel about these teens experiences in the program initially. As mentioned above, they were all struggling with some serious issues, and had been acting out in their home life as a way to deal to it.

The more time they spent together, under the uncomfortable conditions, the more they began to open up to one another. There was some serious growth.

Then the crazy stuff starts to happen. There’s something strange in the woods and the pace really picks up after all of that starts to be exposed.

I thought Gould paced this perfectly. I enjoyed how the strangeness unfolded. It felt hypnotic and darkly-enticing. I needed to know what the heck was going to happen here. How were these teens actually going to survive this?

It was eerie and intense. I was rooting for these characters, even the ones that drove me batty at first. The growth they displayed and the horrifying situation they were in, made me root for them all by the end.

I would recommend this to YA Horror, or YA Survival Thriller, Readers. I feel like the character work and atmosphere are reason enough to pick it up, but if you need more, add in a convincing sapphic romance. Additionally, I would recommend the audiobook for the engaging narration.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to whatever Gould releases next!

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Review: Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama #2) by Kristy Boyce

~ megs14malloy

Dating and DragonsDating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Dating and Dragons is the 2nd-book in the Dungeons and Drama YA-Romance series.

These books are companion novels that revolve around RPG-gaming, in particular, and as you may have guessed from the titles, Dungeons and Dragons.

In this installment, we’re following Quinn and Logan. Quinn has recently moved and is starting at a new high school. She hopes that joining a D&D group will be her opportunity to make some new friends.

Logan, is a participant in said D&D group, a bit of a leader and a hunk to boot. He’s charming, handsome and genuine, but there’s a catch. There’s a rule, agreed to by all members that they will not date other members.

Therefore, no matter how much chemistry Quinn and Logan are feeling, they cannot take the bait. Quinn really needs to be a part of this group. She left her old school under bad circumstances, and she’s not willing to be friendless again.

But maybe, baby, they could spend some time together secretly. That couldn’t hurt? Could it?

I loved this just as much as Dungeons and Drama!! I hope there are going to be more books in this series.

There’s something about Boyce’s character work that is just so sweet and compelling. I’ve loved every background of every character in these books.

The gaming element in this one, the D&D group involved, was so great and felt more in-depth than the gaming in the 1st-book. I loved that aspect. I’m not sure if that is true, or just my perception, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

I also adored Quinn as a main character, and even Logan. I’ll admit he had me swooning and blushing more than once. The chemistry between them was also so well done.

The secrecy and the way everything was resolved, Boyce did a great job developing all of that. There were moments when I wanted to shake them both (miscommunication, it’s a thing), but I still felt like it was realistically portrayed.

I’m not sure what the plan is for this series, if there will be more or not, but if there is, you better believe that I’m 1000% on board for it. These books have both made me giddy with how good they are.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Romance, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Kristy Boyce.

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Review: We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso

~ megs14malloy

We Were WarnedWe Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone knows the legend of Fairpoint Village, an abandoned beach resort. 25-years ago, a murder closed the place down and soon the ruins will be demolished for good.

Eden has heard the lore about Fairpoint all her life. They say anyone who sets foot there will be cursed to die, and that has happened a couple of times over the years, when students daring to explore the ruins where killed.

Before the scheduled demo can take place, an overnight party is planned for the ruins. Eden reluctantly attends to assist her friend, Henry, with doing some filming.

She’s nervous about going, more because of the other kids that will be there as opposed to the lore of the ruins. Since Eden’s Dad ditched town after taking part in a little white-collar crime, she’s sort of been a social pariah.

Most concerning to her is being anywhere near her ex-best friend, Caleb. They were so close as kids, but since Freshman year, Caleb has barely given her the time of day.

Unfortunately, the party night takes a horrifying turn and now more kids are dying. Is it the haunting of the ruins, or something much closer to home, that is now stalking these teens and trying to take them out one-by-one?

The 1st-book I read from this author, They’re Watching You, was only 2-stars for me and I was hesitant to pick up anything from Ichaso after that. However, when I read the synopsis for this one, I knew I had to give it a shot.

I’m so happy to report that We Were Warned ended up being a a very solid 4-star read for me. I can’t even tell you how excited I was to be gripped by this one from the start.

It kept me entertained and guessing throughout. I thought the pace was great and I loved the character dynamics. There was a lot of drama, both with the kids and their parents, and I’m always down for that.

My favorite aspects were the mysterious lore of this town and watching Eden have to work together with a group of kids who didn’t necessarily start out as her friends.

I thought Ichaso did a wonderful job with the characters, particularly with Eden and Caleb. Their relationship was complicated from the start, and I felt like all of their interactions felt realistic. The way that relationship changed throughout the book, also made sense and felt organic.

Additionally, I really enjoyed Eden’s growth as a character. The way she started to come out of her shell and started to assert herself more with her peers as she gained confidence.

I did enjoy the conclusion as well, although certain aspects started to get a little muddled towards the end. Overall, I thought it was very well-executed.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would highly recommend the audio format. The narration by Jennifer Jill Araya was fantastic!

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Review: Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

~ megs14malloy

Descendant of the CraneDescendant of the Crane by Joan He
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Descendant of the Crane was Book #20 in my long-running TBR-Haul Project. I hauled this one in April 2019, and for some reason, just never got around to picking it up.

Since her initial haul, she’s survived many, many unhauls. Mainly, because of the beautiful cover, but also because I was still intrigued by the synopsis.

Happily, I was drawn into this story very quickly. We meet Princess Hesina of Yan. At the start of the story, we discover that her beloved father has passed away suddenly.

His death leaves their kingdom without a ruler, although it is assumed that Hesina will be next to lead. She’s always been happy to shirk responsibilities related to the crown, but now it looks like she has no choice. She’s gotta step up.

The situation is more complicated than it would initially seem though, as Hesina believes that her father was actually murdered. The official story is that he died of natural causes, but she’s not buying it.

Thus, she secretly vows to expose her father’s killer and bring them to justice. The kingdom deserves the truth.

Together with a few trusted confidants, she sets out to do just that. In order to kick off her investigation, she seeks out the aid of a soothsayer, an illicit act, as magic has been banned in their kingdom for centuries.

Using the sooth’s information, Hesina locates a brillant prisoner, Akira, who may be the key to helping her score the outcome she craves.

With the future of the kingdom at stake, will Hesina be able to achieve the justice she seeks for her dead father, or will the risks out-weigh the rewards?

As mentioned above, I found this story very easy to get into. I loved meeting Hesina and finding out about her kingdom and what was happening there through her perspective.

The prisoner, Akira, she ends up connecting with due to the soothsayer’s input, was my other favorite character. He was shrouded in mystery and I had fun trying to figure him out.

This story revolves around a lot of politics and court intrigue. That type of story generally works for me and I did enjoy it here as well.

Hesina has siblings, a Mom, and some half-siblings that play big roles in the narrative. I constantly felt like Hesina had to be watching over her shoulders. It was very hard to tell who was friend and who was foe.

I always had this sinking feeling that someone was going to betray her. I felt like that aspect helped to keep me fully-engaged with everything that was going on.

Hesina goes on a real roller coaster ride in this. She ends up exposing some secrets that once let out, can never be undone. It changes everything and I felt for her that she had to even go on this journey in the first place.

It would have been easy for her to just accept her father’s death and take over, but she didn’t take the easy road. I respect her for that.

Overall, I felt like this was a well-told story, however, when I reached the end, I still had questions.

Honestly, I’m not even sure I understood the Epilogue. I wanted more. I wish there was a sequel. I feel like there’s still so much left to explore.

I think maybe Joan He had intended for there to be more, but it was never written. Maybe someday it will happen. If it does, I would definitely be interested in reading it.

Nevertheless, this was a strong read, with great characters and a beautifully-intriguing world. Another great example of why you should never neglect your backlist!

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Review: The Rival by Emma Lord

~ megs14malloy

The RivalThe Rival by Emma Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

I’m not apologizing anymore. I’m done. Let it be known, I love Emma Lord, her stories, her characters, her wit and the themes she chooses to explore in her books.

I’ve never walked away disappointed. They’re silly, cutesy and so dang full of heart and humor. I’m a fan. A big, big, huge, unapologetic fan.

In this story we follow Sadie, who is excited to shake off the constraints of her small town and family, as she starts her first year at Maple Ridge College.

She’s most excited to focus on her writing, as she competes for a spot at the college’s famous zine. What she wasn’t expecting was to have to compete against her lifelong academic rival, Sebastian, for the spot.

Sadie and Seb’s parents are best friends, and thus they’ve been shoved into each other’s orbits their whole lives. Unfortunately, it seems they are always trying to out-do one another, so the relationship has been contentious.

Traditionally, Maple Ridge has selected one student from their high school to attend, so Sadie thought she was golden. Apparently, Seb worked his way off the wait list though, probably just to be the bane of Sadie’s existence.

Of course, he also wants to write for the zine, even though unlike Sadie, his long-term plan isn’t to be a writer. At least, not if his Dad has anything to say about it.

Even though she wants to continue to look at Seb with nothing but contempt, in this new setting, with more on the line and less support, he becomes a bit of a comfort as she transitions to college life.

Before they know it, they seem to be working together in a way they never have before, and also starting to feel things they’ve never felt before.

This was so cute. It’s such an Emma Lord story. She has such a style and formula, and darn it, it works. I find myself becoming completely invested in her characters, no matter what they are going through.

I feel like nobody writes inner-turmoil, or self-doubt, quite like Emma Lord. She makes everything relatable and understandable. It’s hard not to root for her main characters.

I love academic rival situations anyway, so this was sort of set-up to be a win for me. There’s something so sexy about two individuals battling it out with their big brains.

I also love Lord’s side characters. There’s never anyone who feels superfluous. Every player has a point, a reason for being there, and a well-developed personality to boot.

In this, both Sadie and Seb have some issues they’re working through in regards to their families. I thought those aspects were very well done. There are def some complex feelings to work through as you move out of the family home for the first time, and that was examined in detail here.

I would recommend the audiobook if you have access to it. The narration was so great as a voice for Sadie’s perspective. I had such a good time listening to it.

There were moments that I was laughing out loud, and others were I was nodding in understanding. Just a really well rounded YA Contemporary.

If you’ve loved Emma Lord before, or want to try her work for the first time, you should really check this one out!

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Keep ’em coming, Emma Lord!

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Review: Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked #1) by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee

~ megs14malloy

Breath of the Dragon (Breathmarked, #1)Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Breath of the Dragon is the 1st-book in the Breathmarked duology, which is a YA-Fantasy story based on the characters and teachings of the iconic-Bruce Lee.

In this story, we’re following Jun, a teen boy who is anxious to prove his worth as a warrior by entering the elite, and highly-competitive, Guardian’s Tournament.

Unfortunately, his path to the competition isn’t an easy one. Even though he’s eager to prove his skills, it seems everything is pitted against him competing, including his own father.

Determined to at least have a shot, Jun stows away in a wagon of performers, Chang and his daughter, Ren, headed to the capital city where the tournament will take place.

Once the competition begins, Jun realizes that there may be a lot more at stake than just his own legacy.

This was such a great story, full of adventure and heart. It’s truly well-written and I had no trouble getting swept up into the action. I am not sure how memorable the fine details will be for me long-term, but I did really enjoy my time with it.

I highly recommend the audio as well. The narration brought the story to life, particularly in the fast-paced fight scenes.

I’m excited to see where the next book takes us. Without giving anything away, I’m expecting a huge reunion for our MC, Jun, which hopefully will provide him with a larger support system than he currently has.

I’m so anxious to see how that goes and how this will ultimately conclude. As good as this was, I’m actually a little sad that it’s only slated to be a duology. Regardless, I’m going to scoop it up so fast once it’s released.

I was impressed with how quickly I was captivated by this. The initial set-up was so well executed. I loved going on this journey with Jun. I would recommend it to any Reader who enjoys action-packed YA-Fantasy stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I cannot wait for the 2nd-book!

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Review: Carving Shadows into Gold (Forging Silver into Stars #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

~ megs14malloy

Carving Shadows into Gold (Forging Silver into Stars #2)Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carving Shadows into Gold is the 2nd-book in Brigid Kemmerer’s Forging Silver into Stars series. If you’re unaware, this is a companion to Kemmerer’s popular Cursebreakers series, which began with A Curse So Dark and Lonely.

This immersive YA-Fantasy world started off as a loose reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, but oh baby, has it come a long way since then!

I really enjoyed my time with the entire Cursebreakers trilogy, but I gotta say, I feel like these books in the Forging Silver into Stars series feel much more substantial and mature.

Personally, I feel like it’s Kemmerer’s writing. It just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Every time I pick up a book by her, I’m instantly reminded what an insane talent she is.

For example, picking this up, I was concerned I wouldn’t remember enough from the 1st-book, because it had been months and months since I had read it. I shouldn’t have worried. I was immediately invested and it felt as if I had never left. I remembered everything.

As with the 1st-book, we are following Jax, Tycho and Callyn. In this one however, the three are sort of thrust into different parts of the kingdom, all set on different paths. Though apart, their connections to one another feel as strong as ever.

As dangerous events begin to strike the kingdom with increasing frequency, our cast is forced to make difficult choices fighting for their lives and the ones they love.

The debate over the use of magic gets put to the ultimate test as war looms forever closer.

I have been anxiously awaiting this continuation and it was everything I wanted it to be. I’m so pleased with everything that unfolded over the course of this 2nd-book.

I love this world and these three main characters. I’m truly attached to them and was surprised how easily I found myself completely re-immersed in this story. I feel like I’m a part of this world when I’m reading it.

I already cannot wait for whatever Kemmerer has in store for us next. It feels like everything is coming to a head. I’m scared and excited and all the other emotions.

While you can certainly read this series on its own, I would recommend reading Cursebreakers prior to picking this up. This is written in such a way that you wouldn’t feel lost without that background, but it definitely adds to the experience if you have read that trilogy.

Thank you to the publisher, Bloomsbury YA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. You know where to find me when the third book drops!!!

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Review: The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman

~ megs14malloy

The Meadowbrook MurdersThe Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amy and Sarah are best friends, just entering their Senior year at the prestigious Meadowbrook Academy, a private boarding school set in a tiny Connecticut town.

It’s the week prior to the official school start, but the Seniors have all returned to campus. It’s expected to be a great year filled with parties, laughs and their last bit of teenage freedom before becoming adults.

All hopes of that are shattered however, when Sarah and her boyfriend, Ryan, are brutally murdered in Sarah and Amy’s dorm suite. Shockingly, Amy slept through it. She didn’t hear a thing, but she does discover the bodies the next day.

She tells the police she was the only other person in their suite that night, even though that’s not quite true. Everyone on campus and in the surrounding community is shocked, and they look at Amy now with suspicion.

Liz is also a Senior at Meadowbrook. She’s a scholarship kid, who writes for the school newspaper. Honestly, her entire life revolves around the paper. She’s dead-set on becoming a successful journalist someday and her time at Meadowbrook is the first step on that path.

Meadowbrook can open doors for her. She doesn’t come from a wealthy or powerful family, like the majority of the other kids, and she hasn’t always fit in.

Liz breaks the story of the murder. It’s too juicy to pass up and this could help her land the scholarship she needs for college. She’s determined to crack this case.

Liz and Amy have never been friends, but they’re thrust together when the school assigns Amy to be Liz’s new roommate. Clearly, Amy can’t return to her regular suite, it’s a crime scene and tainted by the trauma.

Nonetheless, Amy is none to happy to be forced to room with the random girl digging around into her best friend’s murder; exposing it to the world.

After a bit, with Amy still high on everyone’s suspect list, she decides she needs to figure this out as well, and Liz may be her best chance to get to the bottom of it.

Two worlds merge as the girls eventually thaw a bit of the ice wall between them and start to share information. Some truly fun and engaging amateur sleuthing follows.

I flew through The Meadowbrook Murders in one straight shot. I had quite an enjoyable little Saturday reading this.

As YA Thrillers go, Jessica Goodman is one of my favorite authors, and you can definitely tell this is one of her books. If you’ve read from Goodman before, you know what to expect going into this, and you won’t be disappointed.

We all know I love a private school setting and murder mysteries set a private school are my cake. I enjoyed Liz’s character arc most of all. She was one determined cookie.

I also appreciate how well Goodman frames these ‘haves v. haves not’, or ‘locals v. outsiders’ situations. This is a theme I have noticed in some of her other works, and as a person who lives in a resort community, I can relate to a lot of those dynamics and it feels very genuine to me.

Although I enjoyed Liz’s perspective a little more, Amy’s perspective added so much drama and backstory as far as the mystery into Sarah’s death went. I did grow to like Amy more as the story went on and I’m glad that Goodman wrote this using the dual perspective.

I found the who a little obvious, but the why and how, I was way far off from. Overall, I thought this was highly-entertaining and I would recommend it to any YA Mystery-Thriller fans out there.

Particularly if you’ve enjoyed Goodman’s work in the past, or if you enjoy books from Kara Thomas or Alexa Donne. Also, a must for fans of private school stories.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The Meadowbrook Murders will be available this coming Tuesday, February 4, 2025!!

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Review: You’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker

~ megs14malloy

You're Dead to MeYou’re Dead to Me by Amy Christine Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Ruby Toller, a high school Senior, lives in Florida with her single-Mom and her Mom’s annoying boyfriend, Hunter. They reside at and run at a small Nature Park, that was passed down to Ruby’s Mom from her parents.

Ruby loves working at the Park, taking care of the animals. It’s her home and she plans to always be there. Unfortunately, demand for these types of attractions isn’t what it once was, and they struggle to stay afloat.

Thanks to a generous scholarship, Ruby is able to attend the very prestigious Oleander High School, a private school full of richy-rich teens.

Just because she attends though, doesn’t mean she fits in, or is accepted and Ruby has grown a bit of a chip on her shoulder. One thing she has been successful at though is her thriving anonymous-local gossip blog, ReputationKiller.

Ruby digs up dirt on the most elite families and community members and blasts them on her blog. Thus, aptly doing just as the blog title states, killing reputations.

When Ruby is outed as the force behind ReputationKiller, the whole town turns against her, except for her best friends, Anton and Xavier, and shockingly, an attractive rich boy named Alexander.

More of an outcast now than ever, Ruby feels isolated and like her life is out of control, but at least she has a life. Even that comes into question however, when Ruby starts being haunted by her own ghost.

That’s right, she’s being visited by her dead self, in a horrible state of decay, clad in a tattered prom dress.

It’s clear from the ghost’s appearance, she didn’t get that way due to natural causes. With the prom just days away, Ruby and her friends must figure out who is going to murder Ruby, and stop them, before it’s too late.

You’re Dead to Me was a super fun reading experience for me. I haven’t read a YA Horror-Thriller with such successful Supernatural aspects in a long time.

I found the story to be fast-paced and engaging, with some great Horror imagery. It kept me wanting more and guessing. There were some truly intense moments.

I also loved the way the Florida setting was used and the stark contrast between the Haves and Have-Nots within this community. It felt realistic.

It is super-dramatic, as you would expect from a Teen Scream, but all that drama was really well-executed in my opinion. It had me reaching for my popcorn, versus rolling my eyes, which is always a good sign.

I appreciated the way the author steadily built the intensity throughout. The stakes keep getting higher and higher as the days tick down until the prom.

I also liked the relationships between Ruby and her best friends, as well as her budding relationship with cute boy, Alexander. The friends supported each other very well, even through all the crazy things they go through in this book.

Ruby’s relationship with her Mom was rather complicated and I did like the exploration of that as well. Families are messy, you know?

Overall, I thought this was a super solid YA Horror-Thriller. If you love a Teen Scream, full of drama and danger, you should absolutely check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Content Warning: Animal death on page.


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Review: The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

~ megs14malloy

The Blonde Dies FirstThe Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Devon and her brilliant twin sister, Drew, have drifted apart ever since Drew started attending a prestigious private school, as opposed to the public school Devon goes to.

Devon has made her peace with the fact that Drew is going to leave her behind. That’s why when Drew announces she’s graduating high school a year early, Devon’s not too surprised, but she still doesn’t feel great about it.

In an effort to spend some more time with Drew prior to her departure, Devon comes up with a plan: The Best Summer Ever. This includes a list of activities to do with their entire neighborhood friend group before summer ends.

One of the first items on the list is to attend a party thrown by one of the kids from Drew’s private school, Avery. Devon doesn’t really know anything about Drew’s school life, so she’s never met Avery before and she’s curious.

Thus, Devon, Drew and their other close friends, including Devon’s long-time crush, Yaya, head to Avery’s house for a night of fun. Truth be told, it’s a little uncomfortable at first, but they try to make the best of it.

Once the Ouija board comes out though, they realize it isn’t going to be quite the type of party they anticipated. Avery seems to be showing off. Drew calls it his typical party trick, but it makes Devon and the rest of the crew uncomfortable.

It’s after that night that The Best Summer Ever quickly devolves into the most Demonic Summer Ever. With a demon stalking them, seemingly following the rules of Horror, Devon and her friends must figure out how to defeat the beast before it kills them all.

The Blonde Dies First was an wildly-entertaining ride that kept me guessing throughout. It wasn’t perfect, but there is so much I appreciate about Wellington’s work.

While I feel that the Contemporary elements were the shining stars, it is still a very solid YA Horror story that I would recommend to YA Horror Readers.

As with Wellington’s previous novel, Their Vicious Games, I did really like the mix of the heavier contemporary topics with the dark horror action and intrigue.

There were so many jaw-dropping events in this book that I didn’t see coming and it absolutely had me guessing the whole way. I loved the friend group and how they banded together to try to figure out what was happening to them.

I also loved the way Wellington incorporated the classic rules of Horror that all Horror fans have embedded in their memories. I thought that was just such a fun little nod to the overall genre. It made me ridiculously happy to see it here.

The Contemporary elements were highly successful. The relationship between Drew and Devon was fantastic. Their friend group was lovable and believable. I also appreciated the discussion on the gentrification that was happening within their NYC neighborhood.

With this being said, I did think a lot of the scenes involving the demon, like one set at a hospital, were written very well and had great descriptions too. Also, I loved the various Horror elements incorporated like the Ouija board session, the demon itself, and the talk of horror cinema.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. Wellington’s style definitely fits my tastes and I’m looking forward to whatever she releases next. I’ll be the first one in line.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a good one!

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